Drop 'Em
by GateGremlyn
Summary: Written for the Pentangular Gate prompt "five people at the SGC who can get Daniel tongue-tied or red-faced."


Nominated for a 2011 GateFic Award.

~::~

Written for the Pentangular Gate prompt "five people at the SGC who can get Daniel tongue-tied or red-faced.

This story is Gen and rated PG for a little bad language and some violence.

~::~

"Drop 'em," Cam said as he walked into the gym. "Now."

"What?" Daniel asked with a squeak. "Drop what?" The weights over his head were making his muscles burn and tremble, and he'd lost his concentration at Cam's entrance.

Cam grabbed the bar and eased it back to the rack. "That's way too much weight for you to be pressing, and what are you doing pressing anything without a spotter. Don't you know that's dangerous—as well as against the rules?"

Daniel exhaled as he arms lost the weight and sighed with relief that Cam had come in. Then he blushed at his own stupidity. "Teal'c was here until just a few minutes ago and I wanted to see if I could..." His voice faded away at the shocked look on Cam's face.

"You tried to press Teal'c's weights? Are you nuts?"

"Apparently," Daniel stuttered.

"Apparently," Cam echoed. "So do you think you can walk to the infirmary or do want me to get Lam

to make a house call?"

~::~

"Drop 'em," Carolyn said with her hands on her hips.

"Excuse me?" Daniel's hands almost went to his pants, but he caught himself in time, realizing he was in the hallway outside his office and not in Carolyn's domain of drugs and degradation. He cleared his throat and tried again, just in case his voice had been a little high last time. "Excuse me? 'Drop 'em?'"

"You heard me, Daniel: drop 'em. I gave you strict instructions that you were not to carry so much as a toothpick for the next three days." She took her hands off her hips and gestured to the tower of books currently in Daniel's arms. "So give those to me. And then you're going to your quarters to get some rest."

"Carolyn," Daniel protested, "I'm only going to my office with these where I'll sit quietly at my desk and do a little research on our next..." His voice petered out as Carolyn's fingers twitched. He gave it one last try. "If I put these in your arms you won't even be able to see where you're going..." He stopped before he got himself into more trouble, and with a sigh, deposited the pile of books in her arms. He was right; she couldn't see. But he kept his mouth shut.

"You can take one book—one book-off the top," Carolyn's muffled voice said, "and I'm allowing it only because I don't want to run into a wall and end up a patient in my own infirmary."

Daniel carefully picked up the top book and saw Carolyn glaring at him.

"Lead the way," she ordered. "But be prepared: the next time I say, 'Drop em,' I'm going to do exactly what you thought I was going to do."

~::~

"Drop 'em," the voice from behind him said.

"Not a chance in the world," Daniel replied.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Doctor Jackson, you really are not a good prisoner. In all the years I've known you, you have yet to improve in that area."

"Thank you," Daniel said, "but I don't think I'm a prisoner yet."

"That seems to be the matter under discussion, I agree."

"Um, Daniel?" Vala peeked from behind him. "He's holding a zat and he's pointing it at us."

"I'm sure he is, but he's also Aris Boch and he's not going to shoot an old friend." Daniel cocked his head, his gun still raised. "Right?"

Aris sighed and then smiled. "I don't suppose you let me at least take the woman prisoner, just for old time's sake?"

"No, I don't suppose I would."

"She doesn't look like she'd make a good prisoner, anyway," Aris commented, looking her over.

"You have no idea," he assured Boch.

"Old time's sake?" Vala asked. "Prisoner?" she asked with a little more bite.

"I wanted to trade him for a day's rations the first time we met, but he got away before I got the chance," Aris told her.

"Do you think you could get that much for him?" Vala eyed Daniel up and down. "If that's the case, _I_ might be interested in a deal."

"What?" Daniel sputtered. "Are you insinuating-"

Vala ignored him. "You and I might be able to work something out," she gestured to Boch to step aside, "if the price is right."

"If the price...? Hello, we have work to do here," Daniel called. "Remember? Gathering intelligence? Making contacts? Boch said I was worth _much_ more than a day's rations." Vala and Boch had moved to the line of trees. Daniel sighed and then muttered, "Why do I even bother?"

~::~

"Drop 'em," Teal'c said.

Daniel checked both his hands and his pants before he said, "Drop what?"

"Vala Maldoran told me that you were told to 'drop 'em,' and I have only heard this reference in your old Western movies. What does it mean in this context?"

"Well," Daniel said, "it's quite similar to the old Western films, actually, but within a different cultural framework." Daniel warmed to the topic. "Vala and I met Aris Boch, and he came up to us with a zat and told us to drop our weapons—much like they do in the old movies. Obviously, the weapons are different, but the intent is the same."

"I see," Teal'c said with a nod. "So you are telling me that you were caught unprepared and that an enemy 'got the drop' on you?"

"Well, yes, if you want to-"

"In the old Westerns, the person told to 'drop em' often finds himself incarcerated because of his carelessness."

"It wasn't like that-"

"As you were in the company of Vala Maldoran, you were responsible for her safety as well."

"Yes, but-"

Teal'c held up a hand. "There is no need to explain, Daniel Jackson. I simply wanted clarification of the expression."

"Glad I could clear it up," Daniel said as Teal'c walked away.

~::~

"Drop 'em."

Daniel almost didn't hear the yell. The zing of staff-weapon fire filled the air, and Jack's voice was merely one more sound in the chaos.

"Daniel," Jack shouted again. "Drop 'em. He's off to your left, and I don't have a clear line of sight. You'll have to take him out before we can get to the 'gate. I've got the two on this side."

"I... I can't see him." Daniel had a bizarre moment when he thought about dropping his pants instead. But almost as a reflex, he wrapped his hands around the P-90 and pulled it to his shoulder. He caught only his name as Jack's yell and a staff blast whizzed by him at the same time. "What?" he yelled.

"...on the boulder behind you. You'll... Vala and Mitchell are out... I'll cover you."

Daniel hoped he'd heard Jack right. He broke from his cover and bent low, running fifty yards to a half-wall, the remains of a site Daniel had hoped to excavate. He guessed _that_ wouldn't be happening now. He crouched a minute to catch his breath and then, in one fluid motion, pulled himself up and fired. The Jaffa in front of him fell, hit the ground, and bounced onto his back. The surprise in the unseeing eyes of the corpse made Daniel sick.

"Move," Jack said from over his shoulder, making Daniel jump. "The Jaffa are pulling back but we've got to get to the 'gate now." He patted Daniel on the back and took off at an easy run. Daniel stood another minute, looking at the body in front of him before he reached over and closed the eyes. Then he took off himself.

Running by Jack's side, Daniel didn't say anything; he concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, and getting to the 'gate.

"Mitchell and Carter have the 'gate open—Teal'c and Vala are almost there," Jack panted. "They're just waiting for us."

Daniel nodded and lengthened his stride.

"You know, I'm supposed to be retired." Jack was short of breath, but Daniel knew he didn't want to stop until they were through the 'gate and home. "I'm too old for this shit," Jack added.

Daniel nodded again, running another ten yards before he realized Jack wasn't keeping pace beside him. He stopped abruptly, fearing that Jack had fallen or been taken out by a Jaffa they'd missed. He hadn't heard anything, but maybe he'd been too distracted to notice. To his surprise, Jack was behind him, waiting. He stood bent over, and he had his hands on his thighs, legs spread wide. But his eyes were on Daniel.

Daniel jogged back to join him. "Are you alright?" he asked, extending a hand.

"You did the right thing, Daniel," Jack said as Daniel came up beside him.

Daniel stopped and let the hand drop. "I did what I've been trained to do," the bitterness was obvious even to him, "and I took my shot. He was dead before he hit the ground. I know... I know I did the right thing."

"I know you know," Jack said as he straightened up. "I need you to believe it."

Daniel listened to Jack trying to catch his breath and wondered where the years had gone. "He looked about fifteen," Daniel said. "He was just a kid."

"He was a Jaffa warrior who was trying to kill us." Jack started to walk, pulling Daniel in beside him.

"I know."

"I know you know that too." Jack started to jog again and Daniel stayed beside him. They set an easy pace this time, running in step. "I also know I'm too old for this stuff. Do you think the next time we go on a diplomatic mission it could actually _be_ a diplomatic mission?"

"Sure, I'll see what I can do," Daniel said, "but isn't that more _your_ department now?" They came into the clearing to see the Stargate open and the rest of the team waiting for them.

"Sir, Daniel," Carter called, "it's nice to see the two of you in one piece."

"Thanks, Carter. And thanks for holding the door open for us. Now how about we get out of here before those Jaffa invite their friends to join them?"

"Yes, sir," she said. She waited for Vala and Mitchell to go through, and then with a wave and Teal'c by her side, backed into the puddle herself.

Jack stopped Daniel before they went through. "I'm glad you feel bad."

Daniel stepped back in shock. "What? You're glad-"

"Not that way," Jack said with a dismissive wave. "I'm glad you still _feel_ something. As the years go by, it's easy to let it become part of the job. If you kill someone and don't feel anything, then you've... you've lost your humanity."

"I guess my humanity is still intact," Daniel whispered.

Jack put a hand on his shoulder. "I know."

"I know you know, Jack," Daniel said with a smile. "Now let's go home."

~::~


End file.
